The secret to effective e-commerce strategy and keeping customers happy.

• Author: Beckley, Brent
• Position: UTAH BUSINESS EXPERTS BY BECKELY AND COMPANY

What prompted you to start Beckley & Company?

I worked on the merchant-side of the business for nearly 10 years and, from that experience, I know exactly what kind of challenges companies face when trying to manage their e-commerce strategy entirely in-house. Through Beckley & Company, I wanted to provide more options for companies looking for an experienced partner to help them capitalize on their online business.

Which pressing business issues does Beckley & Company focus on most?

Quality customer service and efficient e-commerce are arguably two of the most important areas in business today. While we are a traditional management consulting firm and we help clients with all areas of their business, from preparing for international growth to raising investment capital, we have gained a unique reputation for our exceptional work with clients in the areas of e-commerce strategy and customer service management.

What are the most common problems you find that businesses face with e-commerce?

Many companies are so focused on growth and consumed with keeping their head above water as they pursue their future agenda that they lose sight of how ineffective their current e-commerce offering has become and how their customer service is suffering as a result. We see a lot of businesses that set up their online shopping experience and then never look at it again, unless there is a problem. There's always room for improvements in e-commerce: keeping costs low, reducing spikes in customer complaints, monitoring and preventing fraudulent customers; all while converting more new customers, getting them to spend more, keep coming back and then reactivating those that have become inactive.

How do you help your clients determine where they should start seeking improvement?

We have a highly collaborative approach towards our engagements and we are absolutely committed to the success of our clients. We like to use data analysis to identify areas of opportunity and to establish key benchmarks. Once we've identified where a client needs help and what their goals are, we set forth on presenting them with a strategy on what needs to be done to get there. Everything is measurable and we hold ourselves accountable to our clients

You talk a lot about customer satisfaction in your articles and in other interviews I've read. What does customer satisfaction have to do with e-commerce and how are they connected?

Everything a business does should consider customer...